Signs are widely used in advertising, for promotional purposes, and to provide needed information. Signs which have LED (light emitting diode) displays have come into common use in recent years. Such LED signs offer the advantage of being capable of being quickly reprogrammed to display different messages or images as desired. They also can be programmed to display video and/or multiple messages which are displayed sequentially. LED signs are aesthetically pleasing and can be easily observed in low light environments, such as outdoors at night.
Conventional LED signs have a number of significant drawbacks even though they offer an array of positive attributes. For instance, conventional LED signs can be bulky and heavy which makes transporting them to a desired location difficult and costly. They also require a computer to run to display which they are presenting. Programming the computer can be confusing and requires a knowledge base which many users do not possess. The computer needed for use in conjunction with such conventional LED signs can also be the source of a variety of problems and is frequently to cause of sign failure. For example, problems can arise from loss of electricity, overheating, mismatching of screen resolutions, rebooting errors, virus, and physical damage resulting from the elements, such as rain, snow, hail, and wind damage. Hackers and pranksters have also been known to re-program the message being displayed on computer-driven LED signs so as to destroy the intended message and replace it with a new one which can be malicious and embarrassing.
These has been a long felt need for LED signs which can be easily transported to a desired location via a common carrier, such as by truck or by air, and easily assembled for use at that desired location. There is also a need for LED signs which can be transported and displayed on a trailer which can be pulled behind a vehicle, such as a car, a tractor, or a truck, and displayed as the trailer is moving or parked in a desired location. There has also been a desire to eliminate the need for a computer in the operation of LED signs to reduce cost, improve reliability, and minimize the risk of malicious tampering with the sign.